Wire tightener



H943- c. c. SCHLEY 2,447,093

WIRE TIGHTENER Filed Sept. 17, 1945 a a W I 6i adckZg INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EIGHTENER Charles G. Schley, George West, Tex.

Application September 17, 1945-, SerialNe. 6,807

Claims (01. 1 40 449 This invention relates to a tool designed primarily for tightening wires which have been stretched from post to post. While it is primarily intended for tightening fence wires it is to be understood of course that it could be used for tightening wires employed for other purposes.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a tool which is simple in construction and, when applied to a tie wire embracing a post and attached to the main wire to be stretched, will act to twist the tie wire and upon the main. wire so as to draw the main wire tautand cause it to embrace the post on which it is mounted.

A further object is to provide a tool which can be used not only for pulling the tie wire away from the engaged post but also to utilize the pulling means as a means for twisting the tie wire.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the tool constituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the tool.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of a portion of a fence having a tie wire connected to the fence wire and straddling a post, said tie wire being engaged by the tool during the first step in the operation of tightening the wire.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the second step in tightening the wire.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the wires after the tie wire has been twisted, the main wire tightened and the tool removed.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates the handle of the tool which can be of wood or other suitable light but strong material and formed in this handle near one end is an opening 2 large enough to receive a hook 3 formed at one end of a stem 4 projecting from an eye 5. A wear plate 6 is mounted on one face of the handle and surrounds the opening 2, this wear plate being also provided with an opening I coinciding with the opening 2.

A desired number oi smaller openings 8 are provided in the handle atsuitable distances from the opening 2 and any one of these is adaptedto receive a screw threaded stem- 9 projecting trom a fulcrum block HL This stem can be detachably secured in place by a nut H or other means whereby the fulcrum block is held rigidly to the handle or lever I.

I In practice a fence wire W is stretched between the posts P to whichit' is to be fastened. Thereafter a tie wire 'L' is placed astride a post and attached at its ends tothe wire arrangement is shown in Fig. 3; Hook. 3 and-stemt are then inserted through the openings 1 and 2 after which the hook is placed in engagement with the tie wire T by forcing it between said wire and the post P. With the hook thus engaged the handle or lever l is suspended in a downwardly extended position with the fulcrum block I0 in engagement with the post. Said handle or lever is then swung in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5 with block ill as its fulcrum and this will result in the hook 3 pulling on the tie wire T so that said tie wire will be pulled a substantial distance away from the post as indicated in Fig. 4, thereby drawing the wire W so that it will embrace the post to such an extent as to take up slack in the wire W. The lever or handle i is held in this position by pressure against the lower end thereof after which a wooden stake, metal pipe or the like is inserted in the eye 5 and used as a lever L for the purpose of rotating said wire, its stem 4 and the hook 3 relative to the aperture 2. Obviously this will result in twisting the tie wire as shown at T in Fig. 6 so that the tie wire will be prevented from resuming its original position and the engaged wire W will be held taut.

Plate 6 takes up all wear resulting from the rotation of the wire so that it is thus possible to use a wooden handle or lever for the purpose of providing a light and inexpensive tool.

What is claimed is:

1. A wire tightener including an elongated handle constituting a lever, there being a smoothwalled opening in said handle adjacent to one end, a short fulcrum block carried by and extending from one face of the handle adjacent the opening, the opening being interposed between the fulcrum block and said end of the handle, a stem having a hook at one end and an eye at its other end, said hook and eye being rotatable, and said hook constituting means for engaging the wire to be twisted, said eye constituting means for receiving a lever for rotating the same.

2. A wire tightener including an elongated handle constituting a lever, there being an opening in said handle adjacent to one end, a fulcrum block adjustably mounted on one face of the handle adjacent the opening, a wear plate mounted on the opposite face of the handle and extending around the opening, a stem mounted for rotation in the opening, an eye at one end of the stem engaging the wear plate and mountedfor rotation thereon, a wire engaging hook at the other end of the stern; said hook being proportionedfor removal through the opening and means detach-. ably engaging the eye for rotating the stem and" hook.

3. A wire tightener including an elongated and relatively fiat handle constituting a lever, a ful'" crum block adjustably mounted ongonefaceofgmounted for rotation in the opening, the stem having a wire-engaging hook at one end, the hook as that onwhich the fulcrum block is mounted,

being extended from the same face of the handle the hook having an eye at its other end,.and

the handle adjacent one end of the handle, the

portion of the handle between said end and the fulcrum block being formed with a smooth-walled opening, a wear plate mounted on the opposite face of the handle and extending around the opening, a stem mounted for rotation in the opening, an eye at one end of the stem engaging the wear plate and mounted for rotation thereon, a wire-engaging hook at the other end of the stem, and means detachably engaging the eye for rotating the stem and hook.

4. A wire tightener including an elongated and relatively flat handle constituting a lever, a fulcrum block adjustably mounted on one face of the handle adjacent one end of the handle, the portion of the handle extending between said end meansdetachably engaging the eye for rotating the stem and hook.

CHARLES C. SCI-ILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

I UNI'I'ED STATES PATENTS 

